Former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele is among six vying for Republican National Committee chairman.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - With six different candidates jockeying to become the next chairman of the Republican National Committee, members of the party have taken the unique step of organizing a so-called “Special Meeting” of the committee to press the candidates on how they plan to bring the party back to power.

The session will take place on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, marking the third straight day candidates have met face-to-face with committee members to make their pitches.

Unlike recent contests for the chairmanship, in which the party leader has been recommended by President Bush, this year’s wide-open race has been a protracted affair combining old-school deal-making with modern technology and the advice of some of the Beltway’s best political consultants.

soundoff(62 Responses)

This story has no traction!
The GOP is light years away from returning to be a viable party with intellingent ideas.

January 7, 2009 07:55 am at 7:55 am |

Christopher Richard Wade Dettling

What the heck does Gloria mean by "inexact science"?
Is that from the Gloria Dictionary (unavailable to the public)?
Gloria, what is the precise semantic difference between exact and inexact science?
If the distinction is specious, does not the Gloria theory (story) not crumble into dust?

January 7, 2009 08:03 am at 8:03 am |

The Weatherman

They have to see why there "conservative" base did not go to the polls for John McCain. They have to tell Limbaugh to stop badmouthing Republicans who might be a future candidate. They have to send Chip Saltsman packing. They have to admit the majority of Americans who voted are blithering idiots who are not qualified to do more than reheat TV dinners. They have to find a way to keep the democrats from buying votes with the stimulus package that will be a ball and chain for years. They have to do something about the liberal media that does not report "all" the facts about the democrats. For the uneducated, please look into Rep. Barney Frank, his past boyfriend Moses and Fannie Mae.

January 7, 2009 08:04 am at 8:04 am |

ga.

i hope they believe in miracles, because thats what it will take for the republicans to ever have any trust from the american people again.

January 7, 2009 08:11 am at 8:11 am |

Chuck

Who cares. Where is Palin. We need a good laugh.

January 7, 2009 08:15 am at 8:15 am |

clifford

The best out of the bunch is former Lt. Gov. Micheal Steele. Very smart and articulate man!

January 7, 2009 08:16 am at 8:16 am |

chuck

RNC WITH BUSH AND CHENEY IS JUST LIKE A MIDDLE EAST TERRORIST GANG THAT MUST BE DESTROYED AND ERADICATED.---ONE OF THE REASONS--BUSH AND CHENEY APPROVED OF HAMAS TO BE INVOLVED IN ELECTIONS KNOWING VERY WELL THAT THEY WERE TERRORIST.

January 7, 2009 08:20 am at 8:20 am |

Henry Miller, Cary, NC

So far as I can tell, all six of these dweebs are standard neo-con, big-government, borrow-and-spend, losers. I'll reconsider the Republicans when the start listening to Ron Paul.

January 7, 2009 08:23 am at 8:23 am |

TCM

Proud American January 6th, 2009 11:47 pm ET

TCM – 2 MORE WEEKS AND YOU IDIOTS ARE OUT OF THERE. You should really come over to my house and watch Obama being sworn in. No serious we should watch together. Your a real sweet little Idiot.

SURE, WHAT'S YOUR ADDRESS? I"ll be there!!

ps – I never lost a soldier....I know you can't relate to that, but perhaps if you look up words foreign to you like, patriotism, honor, duty, honestly, loyalty......you may develop an understanding of what it takes to be a true American, and not some whiny angry liberal. So, go ahead and post your address....I made tons of cash during the .com, so I have free time, and can come see you at your "Defense Contractor," job...where you make that big "xxxx.xx" 6-figure salary...haha.....what's your CAGE CODE, Big boy?

Or are you going to play the victim now, and use that to further attack myself and my family, avoiding the real problem at hand of your regretfulness of voting for Obama? Perhaps you should change your name to "Shameful American." I won't respond any further, for there are Redfish to catch off the gulf coast, and somehow that's more gratifying that having a battle of wits with an unarmed man ...however, as someone else posts....negative response from Proud American in....3...2..1......

January 7, 2009 08:28 am at 8:28 am |

Soldier and Former Republican

I love reading comment from BITTER people like "The Weatherman". The RNC needs to dump people like Rush, become more mainstream and leave the far right by dumping people like Palin, and stop the attack dog politics. This election cycle showed that people are tired of swiftboat politics. Palin was an empty minded attack dog, and that turned a lot of people, myself included, away from the republican party. McCain was a more mainstream candidate and that was a plus, but then you had the far right base, attacking their own parties candidate. As long as the Republican party puts people like Palin, Limbaugh, and the racist Chip Saltzman out front for the world to see, they have no chance in regaining their foothold in American politics. Bitter losers like "The Weatherman" also don't help the party by spewing hate on message boards like this. I have voted Republican for the last 24 years of my life. This election, because of People like Palin, Limbaugh, and bush, I voted democrat for the first time in my life. I have no regrets.

January 7, 2009 08:31 am at 8:31 am |

Venia

The RNC should dismantle itself.

January 7, 2009 08:31 am at 8:31 am |

John in Ohio

More like a special meeting on the race of the chairman.

January 7, 2009 08:33 am at 8:33 am |

clifford

Some of you that have already discounted the Republican party are not to political savy! As we watch the Democratic party self implode as they have in the last several weeks and watch Obama make one fumble after another we can just watch from the side lines and put a bulls eye on the 2010 midterms! Lovin it!!

January 7, 2009 08:45 am at 8:45 am |

Alex

Whoever gets this job stands little chance of any success given the miserable condition of the Republican Party. I believe the vast majority, including many Republicans, see the Republican Party in total disarray after our nation has endured eight years of an extremist Bush Administration that literally dismantled any semblance of competency of Republican principles. It will take a truly dynamic individual to restore any credibility in the Republican to return the PArty to any prominance for several years to come. I doubt there is anyone within the Repulican Party ranks out there today who has those credentials!

January 7, 2009 08:48 am at 8:48 am |

floridajack

hey weatherman – keep believing all of your conservo-fascist "facts" especially the one about the majority if americans being "blithering idiots."

you are suffering from a form of cognitive dissonance – you are faced with the fact that pe obama was elected, but you refuse to believe that it just might be because he was the better candidate.

nope, in your mind, it must be because rush didn’t support mccain! no wait, it was the liberal press! no wait, it was because the democrats bought votes with a stimulus package that didn’t exist before the election! no wait.........

how about this:

the country was tired of your vision of america and the current crop of “leaders” that your party is proffering doesn’t have a clue. good luck for the next 20 years – you’re gonna’ need it.

January 7, 2009 08:59 am at 8:59 am |

Older and Wiser

This is just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. The Republicans are heading to being a Southern regional party that can't compete in most of the civilized world.

January 7, 2009 08:59 am at 8:59 am |

Turnabout is Fair Play

clifford January 7th, 2009 8:45 am ET

Some of you that have already discounted the Republican party are not to political savy! As we watch the Democratic party self implode as they have in the last several weeks and watch Obama make one fumble after another we can just watch from the side lines and put a bulls eye on the 2010 midterms! Lovin it!!
--------------------------------–

Atta boy, put some salve on that painful wound caused by your party LOSING and try to convince yourself that the new Democratic majority, which is just STARTING it's new tenure all three houses of Congress is coming apart..lol! Nice attempt but you are truly among the stupid and unintelligent if you think Republicans have a chance in Hell in 2010. It's going to get worse for them, I can't wait!

January 7, 2009 09:00 am at 9:00 am |

Randy

Simple, surrender the GOP to Ron Paul and his freedom message of balanced budgets, non intervention, sound money, etc. As long as the Neocons control the GOP they will loose, why? their is only room for one moderate party in America and the Democrates have dibs on it.
So the GOP must decide to return to its roots as espoused by Ron Paul or they can go the way of the Whigs

January 7, 2009 09:01 am at 9:01 am |

Susan

In my opinion, the Republican Party will never be successful again - until they all learn that the American people will no longer tolerate their hate-filled, divisive, fear-mongering, threatening, negative maneuvers and language.

January 7, 2009 09:03 am at 9:03 am |

Ray Fisher

If they sit these 6 candidates in a circle, they will have a true Dope Ring!!! Give it up Republican Traitors, you have done enough damage!!!

January 7, 2009 09:07 am at 9:07 am |

Turnabout is Fair Play

The Weatherman is the epitomy of why the Repugnicans lost this election in almost all three houses of Congress and will lose even more in 2010. It's a good thing.

January 7, 2009 09:13 am at 9:13 am |

JD in Moraga

Isn't it odd that they aren't taking recommendations for chairman from the 2-term President? Wonder why that might be. The Founding Fathers were right – factions are a bad idea.

January 7, 2009 09:23 am at 9:23 am |

obama-mama

Maybe George W Bush can get the job so he can get a "do-over"

January 7, 2009 09:23 am at 9:23 am |

Sweetie

The Republicans don't have to do anything but wait.....

The Democrats (I've been one for 30+ years) self destruct with their own special brand of corruption.

I'm rooting for Obama to succeed but I don't think he will because absolute power corrupts absolutely and he has absolute power with no one to blame but fellow Democrats for his failure.

January 7, 2009 09:24 am at 9:24 am |

Barbara Campbell

The Republicans have a serious problem. They are enmeshed with the wealthy and corrupt who have been calling all the shots, but their agenda has totally bombed (except that the wealthy and corrupt have become more wealthy and corrupt).

So, they must choose to either jettison their major backers and work for the best interests of America, or continue to operate according to the dictates of those who have raped, pillaged, and plundered for the last eight years.

My guess is that they'll choose the latter while trying harder to disguise the wolf in sheep's clothing (i.e. Sarah Palin). They'll criticize and obstruct the Obama administration at every turn, and in four years will blame him for not fixing every mess that Bush and cronies left behind.